He Shoots, He Scores!
by DiNozzos probie
Summary: Pre-slash Tibbs! Tony gets a couple of hockey-related boo boos and it's Ducky and Gibbs to the rescue! Once again Tony ends up on painkillers, but this time there's a bit of a twist, and Gibbs isn't quite sure how to handle it. I don't own any recognizable places or people. I am making no money from this and no copyright infringement is intended. Warning: No beta!


"He Shoots, He Scores!"

"Anthony my dear boy, I have never encountered anyone as prone to injuries as you. I fear a few stitches are in order," Ducky announced after a close examination of Tony's bloody chin. "Keep applying pressure on it while I get my suture kit. It is fortunate that I received your call when I did. "

Tony pressed some fresh gauze to his chin and groaned when Ducky retrieved a syringe and a vial of lidocaine from his medical bag. Over the years, Ducky had learned that it was best to keep his supply of first aid supplies well stocked since every member of "Team Gibbs" was too stubborn to go anywhere else for treatment for the myriad injuries they suffered whilst working in the field.

"No Ducky," Tony pled desperately, "Just put some Bactine and a Band Aide on it and I'll be fine."

Ducky patted Tony's knee affectionately.

"Nonsense Anthony, that cut is quite deep. Would you care to tell me how this unfortunate injury happened," Ducky asked as he drew the lidocaine into the syringe, knowing he was likely to get a lie for an answer.

"Slap shot," Tony mumbled.

"Excuse me," Ducky asked with surprise as he pushed the plunger of the syringe to release any air bubbles.

"I was playing hockey and got hit with the puck," Tony said defiantly.

"Why Anthony, I did not know that you played ice hockey! You are just full of surprises," Ducky said with a chuckle before turning all business. "Now, please hold still and let me numb the area. I give you my word just a tiny sting for a second or two."

"But Ducky, you know how much I hate needles," Tony whined as Ducky prepared to inject the local anesthetic into his chin. "Are you sure this is really necessary?"

Before Ducky could answer, the doors to Autopsy swished open and Gibbs breezed into the room. It was nearing 7:00 p.m. Friday night, and Gibbs wanted to follow up with Ducky about their latest case before heading home for another night holed up alone in his dusty basement. He had sent the team home mid-afternoon after wrapping up their last case. It had taken a toll on all of them and he figured they deserved a break. He stopped short at the unexpected sight of a mortified Tony, dressed in a dark blue warm up suit, sitting on one of the cold metal autopsy tables holding a bunch of bloody gauze to his chin while Ducky stood in front of him brandishing the syringe.

Seeing Gibbs, Tony quickly turned his head away in a futile attempt to hide.

_"That's just great. That's all I need,"_ Tony thought as he fought to hold onto a shred of dignity.

"Ah, Jethro! Just give me a few moments and I will get that report you asked for," Ducky greeted with his standard cheerfulness, unfazed by the interruption. "I just need to attend to Anthony here."

"Duck," Gibbs replied with a curt nod before cocking his head to look at Tony, who kept his head turned away. "Either of you wanna tell me why my Senior Field Agent is here after hours bleeding?"

Tony groaned and his shoulders slumped in defeat knowing that Gibbs wouldn't take anything short of the absolute truth for an answer. When Gibbs stepped closer, Tony let out a defeated sigh.

"Just cut myself, Boss. No big deal, but the good doctor here thinks I need stitches. What do _you _think?" Tony asked innocently as he pulled the gauze away dramatically to reveal the injury.

Gibbs whistled as he gently grasped Tony's jaw so that he could get a better look at the relatively small but deep wound, which was still bleeding profusely. He looked at Tony with concern in his eyes and asked, "Jesus DiNozzo! What the hell did you do this time?"

Tony jerked away from Gibbs' grasp and stated more heatedly than he intended, "I said it's nothing, Gibbs. I just want to get out of here and go home. A hot shower and a good night's sleep and I'll be good as new."

He took a fresh wad of gauze from Ducky and held it to the wound.

Gibbs glared.

"You didn't answer my question. How. Did. You. Get. Hurt?" Gibbs asked, purposely emphasizing each word.

"Okay. I was playing hockey and took a puck to the face, that's all. Are you happy now?" Tony demanded.

Beyond embarrassed, he sat frozen waiting for Gibbs to head slap him for the outburst but instead was stunned when his bastard of a boss suddenly barked out a laugh. Tony was shocked by the extremely uncharacteristic reaction and glared back at Gibbs.

"Oh, you think it's funny? I'll have you know it hurt like hell," Tony barked.

Gibbs stopped laughing, and looking suitably contrite said, "I was just expecting a whole different explanation. You know, something more like some guy with a big ring slugging you for hitting on his wife or girlfriend or something."

Seeing Tony's immediate hurt look in response to Gibbs' comment, Ducky chimed in before Tony could give an angry reply.

"Tut, tut, Jethro. Leave the poor boy alone. Now, Anthony, I really must suture the wound. If we wait much longer, I will be forced to incise and extend the cut which will leave a bigger scar. Now, take a deep breath and I promise there will only be a very slight sting."

Tony did as he was told and slammed his eyes shut as the needle got ever closer. He felt the promised sting and flinched slightly at the same time a firm hand landed on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Ducky stepped back and beamed at his patient.

"Well done, my boy! That wasn't so bad now was it? Now let's give that a minute or two and then I will place the sutures. I believe only four will be necessary, so any scar will be barely noticeable."

Fifteen minutes later Ducky thoroughly inspected his work then handed Tony a small hand mirror.

"As promised, it only required four small stitches. I should be able to remove them in a few days time. Let me dress that with a bandage and you will be on your way."

Tony groaned at the site; his chin not only bore the tiny suture line, but had also turned a deep shade of purple and was visibly swollen.

Gibbs looked on with concern as Ducky taped a small square of Vaseline coated gauze across the sutures. When he was finished, Ducky grinned at Tony and proclaimed, "You are free to go, Anthony. I would recommend putting some ice on it tonight to help reduce the swelling. I can't do anything about the bruising, but a couple of Tylenol should ease any discomfort."

Tony prepared to hop off of the table as Ducky gave him detailed instructions for caring for the wound until the stitches could come out.

"Yeah Duck, I know the drill. Not my first time. I'll be careful."

Luckily, Gibbs was standing close by when Tony leveraged himself off of the table only to nearly collapse when his left ankle gave out.

"Ow, shit!" Tony yelled a nanosecond before Gibbs' arm was around his waist supporting him and preventing the further embarrassment of face planting on the cold tile floor.

Ducky immediately rolled his desk chair over and helped Gibbs gently lower Tony into it.

"My word Anthony, are you quite all right?"

Tony was hissing in pain but managed to grit out through clenched teeth, "Ankle Duck. Got hit there, too."

Ducky carefully removed Tony's shoe and examined his ankle making sure that the bone was sound. Fortunately it was.

He had a large bruise on his ankle from another errant puck. Tony thought it had hit the boot of his skate when it deflected off the dasher board, but apparently it hit just above the top of it.

"Just a nasty deep bruise. My, my, I do hope you have plenty of ice on hand at home," Ducky chuckled.

"This is just great. This is the worst Friday night _ever_," Tony grumbled.

He was tired, and though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he was also in considerable pain. It was nearly 8:30 by the time Ducky released him.

"Come on, DiNozzo. Let's get you home," Gibbs said as he again put an arm around Tony's waist and helping him up before pulling Tony's arm around his shoulders. "There's no way you can drive your car, so I'll drive you home."

"Thanks, Boss. Guess it's a good thing you were still here," Tony mumbled tiredly. Gibbs was right, Tony's Mustang had a manual transmission, and there was no way he could manage the clutch with his left foot due to the pain.

"Don't mention it. Let's go." Gibbs grabbed the file he had come down to get.

"Duck, can you wait here with him? I'll pull my car around to the evidence garage so he won't have to walk far."

"Of course, Jethro! Let me grab my coat and we will meet you there directly," Ducky said with a smile as he began shutting down the lights, sinking autopsy into darkness.

"Thanks Ducky. Sorry to be such a pain in the ass," Tony said apologetically.

"That is quite all right, my dear boy! Call me if you see any signs of infection over the weekend, and I expect to see you down here first thing Monday morning," Ducky instructed as he slapped a small bottle of prescription strength painkillers into Tony's hand.

Tony looked at Ducky like he had lost his mind. Ducky in turn fixed his best "best not to argue with me" glare on Tony and said, "I know you do not like taking painkillers, but with your additional injury I'm afraid Tylenol may not suffice to ease your pain. One of these will at least allow you and that nasty looking ankle of yours to get a good night's rest. You probably will only need them for a day or two."

Knowing he wouldn't win an argument with Ducky, Tony dutifully stuffed the bottle into his sweat jacket pocket. _"Just 'cuz he gave 'em to me doesn't mean I have to take 'em," _Tony mused to himself while keeping an innocent grin in place.

By the time Tony, with Ducky's assistance, made it to the evidence garage Gibbs had pulled his Challenger in and was waiting to help lower him into the front seat.

Ducky chuckled and whispered to Tony, "Your chariot awaits."

As he buckled himself in, Tony's thoughts turned to a hot shower and a tall glass of scotch. A nice stiff drink would certainly serve him better than taking the painkillers, which everyone on the planet knew made him loopier than all get out. He groaned, however, when Ducky scuttled his plans.

"Now, Jethro, I have given Tony a small bottle of painkillers. Please see to it that he takes one tonight and gets ice on that ankle. A painless good night's sleep will do him wonders," Ducky admonished, knowing that Gibbs would follow his instructions to the letter.

"You got it, Duck. I'll make sure your patient behaves himself," Gibbs said before shutting the passenger door and walking around to the driver's side.

"Then I shall sleep well knowing that Anthony is in your capable hands," Ducky called out cheerfully before donning his hat and heading for the exit.

Tony's thoughts were in turmoil at Ducky's unintentional double entendre. He looked at Gibbs' hands as they gripped the steering wheel and wondered what they would feel like on him. He slammed his eyes shut and let his head fall back on the headrest with a groan and tried to will away that particular fantasy. The last thing he needed right now was a raging hard on.

"You okay, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked with concern evident in his voice. Tony turned his head and slowly cracked open his eyes, which locked on icy blues ones twinkling with what could only be described as affection.

Tony grinned slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just want to get home," he said with a sigh before once again letting his head fall back.

He knew that Gibbs cared about him, not just as an agent but also as a friend. With each passing year their friendship outside of work had grown stronger. Gibbs was the only person Tony trusted without reservation. He had unloaded his hopes, dreams, and fears to the man more times than he cared to count, usually after a disastrous attempt at a relationship, knowing there would be no judgment. Something about spilling his guts to his functional mute boss and friend while he worked in the basement was the only way he could work through whatever was troubling him. Tony could ramble on for hours about nothing or everything, and Gibbs stayed quiet and just let him work it out, grunting occasionally to let him know he was paying attention.

Abby was his best friend and had been since he started at NCIS, but he had learned the hard way not to confide in her with anything too personal. She had kept his big secret about being bisexual for almost a year before accidently outing him to McGee and Ziva in the early morning hours during a marathon poker game.

The drive to Tony's apartment only took fifteen minutes thanks to lighter than normal traffic combined with Gibbs' complete disregard for posted speed limits. As the Challenger rolled to a stop in one of the two parking spaces assigned to his apartment, Tony had to wonder when exactly Gibbs' driving ceased to terrify him.

Tony was about to pull himself out of the car only to have Gibbs grab his arm to help him.

"Whoa, hang on DiNozzo! Let me help you. Put your weight on me. I gotcha," Gibbs said confidently.

They slowly made their way up the sidewalk to the front door of the building. Tony punched in a code to unlock the door, which swung open automatically. Many repairs and upgrades had been made to the building over the last couple of years, but unfortunately that did not include the elevator, which was once again out of commission.

"Aw shit! Gonna have to take the stairs, Boss. I'm on the third floor," Tony muttered in defeat.

Gibbs smirked at Tony and said, "Well I don't have anywhere to be, so let's get moving. Just take your time. Don't need you falling down the stairs, too."

Tony tried to look affronted at the alleged slight but snorted instead.

"Yeah, just my luck I'd break my damn leg."

Despite agonizingly slow progress they managed to navigate the stairs without further incident. When Tony yanked his key ring out of his pocket the bottle of pills Ducky had given him fell out. Gibbs chuckled at Tony's desperate expression and knelt down to pick up the small bottle.

"I _really_ don't need those, Boss. The pain isn't _that _bad. Besides, you know how I am on painkillers. Can we just tell Ducky I took them," Tony implored.

Gibbs was totally immune to Tony's puppy dog eyes and cracked a half smile.

"Nope. Now unlock the damn door."

"Fine," Tony grumbled like a petulant child.

Tony threw the door open and flipped the light switch to the overhead light in the small entryway. Gibbs helped him over to his oversized leather couch and helped him sit. Tony watched as Gibbs proceeded to stack two small accent pillows on the coffee table. He sat back helpless as Gibbs untied and removed his shoes then gingerly raised his left leg to prop his bruised and swollen ankle on the pillows.

Tony just sat and blinked as Gibbs took control and headed to the kitchen. He heard drawers and cabinets open and close and was about to ask Gibbs what the hell he was looking for when he heard, "Ah, there we go." Tony rolled his eyes as he heard Gibbs fill a large one-gallon zip-lock Baggie with ice.

With Marine efficiency, Gibbs returned with the large bag of ice, a package of frozen peas, and a glass of water. He carefully placed the large bag on Tony's foot and ankle and tossed the peas to him. At Tony's look of confusion Gibbs put his hands on his hips and said, "For your chin, DiNozzo. Frozen veggies make great ice packs."

"Here," Gibbs said, offering a pain pill and a glass of water to him. "Take this - now." That tone, short of a bark but way more than a friendly request, told Tony that arguing was futile.

Tony leveled an indignant pout at Gibbs, but dutifully chased the pill down with half of the contents of the glass. Since he was being treated like a child Tony figured he might as well act like one, so he opened his mouth to show Gibbs the underside of his tongue.

"There, you happy? I took it."

Gibbs was more amused by Tony's childish antics that he normally would be, and answered with a pat on the head and an affectionate, "There's a good boy." He barked out a laugh when Tony crossed his arms and huffed at him.

"You want anything while I'm up," Gibbs asked. "I could fix you something to eat, or we could order out."

As if on cue, Tony's stomach growled.

"I could eat. You want pizza? My treat since you had to literally drag my sorry ass home."

"Sure. I'll take mushrooms on my half."

With some effort and a bit of discomfort, Tony managed to retrieve his cell phone from his pants pocket and hit speed dial 3.

"Hey Marco; it's Tony D. Yeah, I need the usual, a large, but can you do me a favor and add mushrooms on half? Cool. Thanks, man."

Gibbs shook his head and smiled. Only Tony would be on a first name basis with his favorite pizza joint. While they waited Gibbs tossed the TV remote to Tony while he returned to the kitchen in search of plates and napkins.

They managed a successful round trip to the bathroom. Gibbs knew that the narcotic was starting to kick in as soon they reached the guest bathroom halfway down the hall when Tony turned to him and insisted that he was a big boy and he could go potty all by himself.

"DiNozzo, just get your ass in there and try not to fall in," Gibbs mock barked as he fought to hide his amusement. After assuring Tony he would be right outside, Gibbs pulled the door closed then leaned against the jamb and waited patiently. He chuckled when he heard a loud groan of relief come through the door.

Gibbs answered the door forty minutes later and handed the twenty dollar bill Tony had given him to the delivery driver with instructions to keep the change. He looked at Tony, who was practically melting into the couch, and wondered if he was going to have to hand feed him. However, one whiff of the gooey pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese pizza placed on the coffee table before him was all it took to bring Tony back around to his senses. Tony perked up and served up the pizza on the plates Gibbs had brought out from the kitchen.

He much preferred drinking beer with pizza, but Gibbs took pity on Tony in his drug addled state and took two cans of Dr. Pepper out of Tony's fridge instead. Sitting on the couch next to Tony, he settled in with two slices on his plate and they quickly devoured the pizza while watching the Washington Capitals/Boston Bruins hockey game. Gibbs didn't know the first thing about hockey but he managed to pick up a few things as Tony supplied unsolicited running commentary.

During the second intermission, Gibbs stacked the detritus on the empty pizza box and carried it into the kitchen. When he came back out Tony was looking at him with a goofy grin on his face.

"You know something, Boss? Gibbs? Kinda nice having you around to wait on me hand and foot," Tony said with a slight slur, then giggled at the sight of his bare foot still propped up on the pillows.

Gibbs looked at him with raised eyebrows and muttered as he walked over to check on his patient, "Uh huh. I'm gonna get you some more ice, then you should probably try and get some sleep."

He gently removed the bag of ice, which was now half water, and headed back to the kitchen. Making short work of pouring off the water and adding more ice, Gibbs returned to find Tony pouting. One look into Tony's glassy emerald green eyes was all it took for his heart to swell with affection.

"You gonna leave me, Gibbs?" Tony asked timidly, his voice taking on an almost childlike tone.

Gibbs cocked his head, surprised by the odd question.

"Thought I'd get you tucked into your bed first. You'll be more comfortable in there."

Tony looked down at the hands folded in his lap and murmured, "Then are you leaving me?"

Gibbs' heart nearly broke. Before him sat not a forty-something man, but something more akin to a lost little boy. Deep down he knew Tony was suffering through the effects strong painkillers always had on him, but this time it was different. He was used to dealing with the loopy or manic version, who talked incessantly and flirted shamelessly, whose roaming hands held no gender bias, and who never stopped grinning or giggling. This new version of a drug-addled Tony both intrigued and scared him.

Knowing he needed to tread carefully, Gibbs knelt down in front of Tony and asked, "You want me to stay tonight? No problem. I'll go get my kit and then we'll get you settled in, okay?"

Tony nodded and flashed a shy smile. Gibbs patted him on the knee and headed for the door. On the way back down the stairs to his car, Gibbs pulled out his phone and called Ducky.

"Hey Duck, sorry to bother you so late. No, he's fine. At least I think he is. He's acting strange. No, it's different this time. Instead of bouncing off the walls and getting all handsy like he usually does, he's, well, he's sad. Keeps asking me if I'm gonna leave him. Not sure how to handle this, Duck," Gibbs confessed trying not to betray his feelings.

He grabbed his bag out of the trunk while Ducky ran down several possible physiological reasons for Tony's unusual behavior. The one that struck Gibbs the most was Tony's likely fear of abandonment. Everyone knew the story of Senior leaving Tony in a Maui hotel room for two days when he was a kid, so that fear wasn't exactly irrational.

"Jethro, Anthony may be a grown man now, but childhood traumas tend to leave an indelible mark upon one's psyche. Add in his current injuries and the strong medication, I am not at all surprised that Tony is feeling a bit vulnerable and out of sorts at the moment," Ducky stated. "And Jethro, need I remind you that Tony trusts you above no other."

Gibbs swallowed hard before finding the courage to speak again.

"Duck, you think he sees me as a replacement for his worthless father?" Gibbs asked softly, dreading the answer but needing to know.

Sighing audibly Ducky replied, "My dear friend, I can assure you that Tony's feelings for you are _anything _but paternal. He cares for you a great deal more than you know. To what depths I shall leave you to ponder."

After instructing Gibbs to keep a watchful eye on Tony, Ducky bid him goodnight with the promise that he would stop by in the morning to check on his charge.

Tony was nearly boneless, so Gibbs had to practically carry him down the hall to his bedroom then into the en suite bathroom. Gibbs kept him steady while he washed his face and brushed his teeth. Past caring that he had an audience, Tony steadied himself and managed to pee while Gibbs took care of his ablutions.

Gibbs led Tony to his bed, pulled back the covers, and helped him lie back. He was about to pull Tony's pants down his legs when Tony slapped his hands away and started giggling.

"Better lemme do that. No undies," Tony said teasingly in a lilting voice while flashing a toothy grin.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. Leaving Tony to finish stripping down, he returned to the bathroom to use the head. When he came back, Tony was flat on his back with the sheet dangerously low across his hips barely covering him. One hand was splayed across his abs while his other arm was thrown up over his head. His eyes were half open and his lips were slightly parted. Faced with such a delectable temptation, Gibbs suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. He needed to get out of there and fast before he did something they would both surely regret.

His voice coming out with a bit of an embarrassing squeak, Gibbs asked nervously, "You got a pillow and blanket I can use? Gonna crash on the couch."

Tony's eyes shot open and his lips curved into a deep frown.

"But, you said you weren't gonna leave me."

There it was again; the desperate pleading voice and Gibbs' heart melted in his chest. He was torn. Climbing into bed with a drugged and obviously naked Tony was _not_ a good idea, but he was mindful of Ducky's admonishment to keep a close eye on him.

"Okay, Tony, I won't. Not going anywhere. I promise. Just gonna go get your ice pack. Do you need another pain pill?"

Tony shook his head vehemently and mumbled, "No! Hate 'em. Make me stupid."

Gibbs returned with the ice pack and the pillows so that he could again elevate Tony's foot. He earned another giggle for his trouble when he accidently tickled the bottom of Tony's foot. It was a sound Gibbs was finding completely endearing.

Once Tony was comfortably situated, Gibbs walked around the queen-size bed and climbed in lying flat on his back and keeping as much distance from Tony as he could without falling off the edge. It was fortunate that he had a pair of flannel pajama pants in his kit. They were thin, but would provide at least a bit of a barrier against Tony's bare skin.

Gibbs only relaxed when he heard a garbled sing-songed, "Nigh nigh, Gibbs. Love 'ya," followed seconds later by soft even snoring. He rolled onto his right side and studied Tony as he lay bathed in the filtered moonlight pouring in through the window. There was simply no point in denying that Tony was simply without a doubt beautiful. Try as he might, Gibbs' resolve to tamp down his ever-growing attraction to the gorgeous Italian was crumbling.

It wasn't only Tony's stunning good looks that pulled Gibbs into his orbit. Tony DiNozzo was a walking, talking contradiction. Behind the jokes, teasing and pranks, the endless movie references, and general sophomoric silliness at times, Gibbs sensed deep insecurity and a profound vulnerability that sparked an almost desperate need to protect him. Tony was brave and more intelligent than anyone gave him credit. He was caring, loyal, trusting to a fault, devoted to his NCIS family, and if Gibbs had to wager, he was sure that underneath the veneer there was a wealth of love and passion just waiting to be discovered.

He resisted the urge to run his fingers through what promised to be silky hair and muttered a quiet, "Good night, Tony."

Rolling onto his back with a sigh, within a few minutes Gibbs was pulled into a fitful sleep with Tony's drug-induced declaration ringing in his ears.

Gibbs was startled awake by a loud thud and a grumbled, "Fuck!" Throwing off the covers, he rounded the bed to find Tony sprawled on the floor next to his dresser grasping his ankle. He was obviously in a great deal of pain, if the slammed shut eyes and grimace etched on his face were any indication.

"Jesus, DiNozzo! What the hell were you trying to do?" Gibbs asked as he knelt next to Tony, who had thankfully managed to pull on a pair of boxer briefs before face planting on the floor.

"Needed to pee," Tony exclaimed through clenched teeth.

"Why the hell didn't you wake me up?" Gibbs demanded.

"Wanted to let you sleep. Didn't want to bother you," Tony said apologetically.

Gibbs sighed. "DiNozzo, Tony, it's not a bother. _You _are not a bother." He tapped Tony lightly under the chin, mindful of the bandaged stitches, forcing him to look up. "Are you listening to me?"

Tony frowned as he managed to sit up.

"Yes, Boss. Hey Boss, I really do need to pee. Can you, you know, help me out here?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and chuckled. He crouched behind Tony, wrapped his arms around torso, then carefully stood and pulled him to his feet. Tony had to hop on his good foot a few times to get his balance. Getting a nod, Gibbs ducked under Tony's arm, and with an arm firmly around his waist guided him into the bathroom.

Tony snorted.

"You know something, Gibbs? We would be _great_ in a three-legged race."

Gibbs washed his face while Tony took care of business. They traded places so Gibbs could relieve himself. Tony had to force himself not to stare at Gibbs' perfectly shaped, firm ass and turned his attention to his own reflection in the mirror.

"Oh fuck," he growled after slowly peeling off the bandage and getting his first look at the pronounced bruising and swelling of his whiskered chin. "Man, I look like shit!"

Gibbs pulled up his pants, flushed, and returned to the double-sink vanity to wash his hands. He watched as Tony carefully studied the deep purple bruising and neat row of stitches.

"When the swelling and bruising go away no one will even notice," Gibbs said reassuringly. He knew that Tony took great pride in his appearance. "By Monday you'll look good as new. C'mon, I need coffee and you need to take your meds. How about I fix us some breakfast?"

Tony's eyes met Gibbs' in the mirror. "That would be great. Thanks, Gibbs," he said softly and sincerely.

Returning to the bedroom, Gibbs helped Tony pull on a pair of gray sweatpants and his beloved Ohio State sweatshirt. Then slowly the three-legged duo made it out to the couch without incident. As he had done the night before, Gibbs propped up Tony's foot and handed him the TV remote. After glaring Tony into submission to get him to take a pain pill, he headed back to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He returned a short while later with two large steaming mugs. He handed one to Tony, who smiled seeing that it was doctored with hazelnut creamer.

"Thanks Boss," Tony said appreciatively before taking a first tentative sip. "Ah, yummy! Just the way I like it."

The clock chimed seven times.

Gibbs got up to head back to the kitchen to prepare a light breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, only to be detoured by a soft knock at the door. At Tony's slightly panicked look, Gibbs smirked. "Ducky. Said he was going to stop by this morning to look you over," he said sheepishly. "Sorry, forgot to tell you."

Tony let his head drop to the back of the couch with a groan. A thorough examination of his injuries followed by a long lecture or a semi-relevant story was not how he wanted to kick off a Saturday morning.

"Ah, Jethro! Good morning," Ducky chirped cheerfully when Gibbs opened the door.

"Morning Duck. He's over there," Gibbs replied pointing over at the couch. "Just getting ready to make breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and toast. Join us?" he asked.

"Thank you, Jethro, it is kind of you to offer, but I'm on my way to have breakfast with a friend - Dr. Hampton to be precise," Ducky answered with a hint of a blush rising on his cheeks.

"Lookie Gibbs, Ducky's blushing!" Tony teased before snorting out a giggle. "Ducky, you old stud you."

"Ah, I see you've taken your pain pill this morning, Anthony," Ducky retorted good naturedly as he dropped his jacket and hat into an armchair. He tried to scowl at his patient, who just kept grinning at him, but failed miserably. "Jethro may I ask when Anthony here took his last dose?"

From his position leaning in the archway to the kitchen, Gibbs replied, "About twenty minutes ago. He, uh, tried to walk earlier and ended up on his ass on his bedroom floor." The frown and half-hearted glare directed at Tony were answered with a beaming smile.

Leaning forward slightly, Tony stage-whispered to Ducky, "I woke up and had to pee something awful, Duckman."

"Yes, well, let us have a look at you, shall we?" Ducky requested clinically.

He methodically unwrapped the Ace bandage. Tony hissed as Ducky set to work examining his swollen and rather tender ankle, gently flexing the joint and noting the severity of the bruising.

"Owie, Ducky! Hurts," Tony whined with a pronounced pout. Gibbs' strong hand squeezing his shoulder was a welcome distraction.

"I am sorry, Anthony. It appears that your little fall this morning may have caused you further injury. The bone is still sound, but you man now add a high-ankle sprain to your list of ailments," Ducky answered regretfully as he expertly rewrapped Tony's ankle.

"Figures," Tony grumbled. He dropped his head back and glanced up at Gibbs hovering over him from behind. "M'starvin, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled affectionately down at Tony and patted his cheek.

"Okay, Tony. You be a good boy for Ducky while I go fix you some breakfast."

"I like m'bacon only a li'l bit crispy," Tony called out with a pronounced slur when Gibbs disappeared earning a chuckle from Ducky.

Ducky took advantage of Tony's reclined position to inspect the tiny suture line in his chin.

"Well, Anthony, your cut is healing quite nicely. No sign of infection, so far," Ducky announced. "The swelling has gone down a bit, but I fear the bruising will last for several days. The injury to your ankle is a much bigger concern I'm afraid. It is my recommendation that you stay off of it for a couple of days. I'm sure Jethro will be happy to stay here and look after you. First thing Monday morning I expect to see you in my office for an evaluation. I dare say you may be restricted to desk duty for about a week. You rest, my dear boy, while I go and speak with Jethro."

He patted Tony on the knee then joined Gibbs in the kitchen to brief him and to request a new ice pack for his patient.

Tony wanted to cry. There he sat on his Italian leather sofa, completely helpless, stoned to the gills, while the object of his latent desires and fantasies was in his kitchen cooking him breakfast.

Ducky returned to grab his things and offer some final instructions, but stopped and frowned at the sight of Tony. The look of abject sorrow on Tony's face nearly broke his heart.

"Oh dear," he muttered under his breath before taking a seat on the couch next to his patient and carefully placing the ice pack on Tony's elevated ankle.

"Anthony my dear boy, what on earth is wrong?" he asked cautiously, knowing that Tony was under the effects of a powerful narcotic.

Tony sighed as a single tear ran down his cheek.

"M'heart hurts," he replied sadly while picking at a loose thread sticking out of the seam of his sweatpants. "Doesn't want me, doesn't love me. Nobody loves me."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Anthony? Who doesn't love you?"

Tony sighed.

"Boss ... Gibbs … Jet. He's so awesome, Ducky! Always takes care of stupid me. Dunno why. Loved him since forever, but Jet ...," Tony finished with a pitiful shrug.

Ducky saw Gibbs out of the corner of his eye standing stock still in the doorway holding a plate filled with bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and lightly buttered whole wheat toast. He knew Gibbs well enough to understand the look of wonderment on his face. The initial look of shock and confusion morphed into one of genuine affection. The shy half-smile that followed spoke volumes. Ducky smiled back and turned his attention back to his lovesick patient.

"Oh Anthony. If you love Gibbs, or Jet as you have taken to calling him, you must tell him," Ducky admonished fondly.

Tony's eyes went wide and he shook his head fervently. "Uh-uh! I can't, Ducky! I don't wanna get shot!"

Ducky couldn't hold back his bark of laughter if his life depended on it.

"Why Anthony, I assure you there is nothing to fear in that regard. You might just be surprised and, as they say, confession is good for the soul. Now, I shall take my leave so you can enjoy the breakfast Jet…hro has prepared for you," Ducky announced as he stood and shrugged into his jacket while smiling affectionately at Tony and leveling a permissive wink at Gibbs.

He had seen so many clues over the years, stolen looks and accidental touches, and now Ducky had irrefutable confirmation that he had correctly surmised a definite change from mere friendship to something almost too wonderful to comprehend. It was now time for him to play Cupid.

"Good day my dear friends! I believe you have some things to discuss. I trust you will call me if you need my assistance, Jethro. Otherwise, I shall see both of you Monday morning!"

With a tip of his hat, Ducky made a hasty exit.

Tony sank back into the couch when he noticed Gibbs staring at him. He swallowed hard.

"Uh oh, I know that look. You're mad. Sorry, Jet ... Gibbs ... Boss. Don't kill me, k? You weren't 'sposed to hear _any _of that. Just me being stupid again," Tony muttered.

Gibbs sighed and walked over to the couch. He sat in the spot Ducky had vacated and handed the plate and a fork to Tony.

"S'okay, Tony," Gibbs replied softly as he ran his fingers through the hair at Tony's temple. "I'd only be upset if you didn't mean it."

At Tony's hopeful but shy expression, Gibbs smiled.

"Eat before it gets cold. I'll be back in a minute."

Gibbs returned with a tray he found in a cabinet filled with his plate, coffee mug, jar of strawberry jam, salt and pepper, silverware and napkins, the entire carafe from the coffee pot, and, of course, Tony's hazelnut creamer. They ate in silence for several minutes before Gibbs finally spoke, breaking the tension filling the room.

"Better now?"

Tony stifled a burp with the back of his hand and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah, thanks Boss," he said nervously.

A hearty breakfast and a second cup of coffee had cleared the drug-induced fog, but he still felt off-kilter.

"Back to Boss, are we?" Gibbs asked as he stacked their empty plates on the tray, failing to hide the disappointment in his voice. "I kind of liked you calling me Jet."

Gibbs tried to crack a smile, but failed miserably. He went to stand to take the tray into the kitchen, but the warm hand desperately grabbing his arm froze him in place. He let go of the tray and slowly turned to face Tony, and was greeted with shining emerald smiling eyes assessing him.

"Stoned or not, I meant it. You _are _awesome, Gibbs," Tony said with as much sincerity as he could muster. "I don't know if the pain pills make me brave or stupid - probably both - but they at least they keep me honest."

Seeing Gibbs look down at his own hands and nod, Tony chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know I usually ramble on like a complete idiot and make an ass of myself, or so I've been told, but this time - this time it's different. I don't know if it's a different painkiller or what, but I feel different."

Tony shook his head in frustration, knowing that he wasn't making any sense.

Gibbs patted Tony's leg.

"Hey, I get it. I called Ducky last night and told him that you weren't acting all loopy and flirty like you usually do on the good stuff. Told him you were sad. Tony, do you remember what you kept asking me last night?" he asked.

Getting only a furrowed brow in response, Gibbs nodded. "I didn't think so. You kept asking me if I was leaving you. Kind of scared me, so I called Ducky. Then later, after you said goodnight, you said - you loved me. And you just told Ducky that you loved me."

Dropping his head back with a groan, Tony declared, "God, you must think I am a complete nutcase!"

Gibbs cleared his throat.

"No, I don't. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here. Tony, look at me," he requested. When he had Tony's full attention, he smiled warmly. It was now or never, go all in or go home. "I just want to make sure we're, you know, on the same page."

Tony's eyes grew impossibly wide in astonishment. He could not be hearing Gibbs, the unattainable man of his dreams, correctly. "But, but, but ... Gibbs? You don't, I mean you're not, you know, um, aw jeez, you're not into guys," Tony stammered out excitedly, beyond astounded. "Wait, are you?"

Amused by Tony's reaction, Gibbs smirked and shrugged. "And if maybe I was?"

"Oh my God!" Tony said. Forgetting his current situation, he moved so quickly to turn and face Gibbs that the ice pack went flying. "Gibbs? Do you mean, I mean are you saying that, um, you gotta help me out here."

Tony continued to stutter and stammer in a futile attempt to form a coherent sentence, so Gibbs' followed his gut and his heart and did the only logical thing he could think of. Mindful of the bruising, he gently took Tony's face in his hands, pulled him close, and claimed his lips in a tender kiss, not stopping until he was sure that his intentions were crystal clear.

An involuntary whimper escaped when his lips were released. The callused hands continued to gently cradle his face; strong thumbs wiped away a couple of joyful tears.


End file.
